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Union Station’s silent boogie

Rating: NNNNN


About 120 misfit boys and girls gather at Union Station Friday, December 15, for the most literal rendition of Silent Night the holiday’s seen in a while.

The 51-minute-long Jingle Bell Rock , a precursor to drunken holiday dancing, has the crowd shuffling their feet and getting down to their own tunes on MP3 players, making this the quietest dance party in town. The event, put on by Newmindspace , is designed not only to help people feel more at ease with groovin’ out in public places, but also to slow down hurried passersby long enough to join in.

“The original concept was to be a bit more incognito. Everyone was supposed to spread out through the train station, and the passersby would be kinda like, ‘Something weird’s going on,'” says Susy Glass , who calls the occasion “mobile clubbing.”

The festivities certainly catch the attention of eight security guards, who keep a watchful eye on the crowd and later confiscate two of the rubber balls being tossed about.

Newmindspace co-organizer Lori Kufner , dressed as an elf princess, says listening to music on headphones creates more mystery in public spaces. And “This way we’re breaking no sound rules. You can do this in a room with babies sleeping, and it’s totally legitimate.”

Two women dancing together, one decked out in a satin gown, the other in a tuxedo and top hat, see this as a magical opportunity to re-enact a movie scene. “I’m a fan of The Fisher King. I love the scene where they all start waltzing [in the train station],” says Stacy King while Urge Overkill is blasting in the ear buds she shares with her partner. “I thought this would give me an excuse to do it without people staring too much.”

news@nowtoronto.com

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